Local Heritage and Sustainability
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2018) | Viewed by 127424
Special Issue Editors
Interests: historical geography; studies of local cultures
Interests: cultural geography; social geography; historical heritage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: urban geography; urban planning
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, discussed the definition of a healthy and vibrant environment when using the advanced concept of sustainable development. Subsequently, in 1987, the World Committee on Environment and Development (WCED) published Our Common Future and officially defined the concept of sustainable development. The term extensively addresses the global economic, social, environmental and cultural development dimensions associated with this concept.
Based on the Stockholm and other UN initiatives related to sustainable development, scholars are asked to pay attention to those places of cultural and natural heritage that are under threat because of years of natural damage and the impacts of economic and social change. Considering the damage or disappearance of cultural and natural heritage, UNESCO formally adopted the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972. It was a call for the international community to protect the cultural and natural heritage of places that have an outstanding universal value, as well as the establishment of a modern scientific approach to study sustainable systems. Because of this initiative, the protection and use of the world's cultural and natural heritage has aroused the attention of scholars and wider public communities.
With advances in globalization, local people in many cultural and economic settings face the impacts of world culture due to their local geographical and cultural boundaries. On the one hand, they are forced by economic growth pressure, and local tradition often gives way to modern pop culture and loses its inherent uniqueness. On the other hand, unique local culture is very often very-closely related to the natural environment, traditional values, memory and daily life. There is often also a spiritual motivation for local development that reflects values associated with sustainable development. More people are beginning to recognize that modernization should not abandon traditional local cultures.
Accordingly, the protection and usage of local heritage is an important issue of sustainable development. In nearly half a century, scholars of various disciplines, including geographers, sociologists, historians, and legal research scholars, have explored the relationships between local heritage and sustainable development, as well as the homogeneity and heterogeneity of local heritage and World Heritage in different cultural settings. In order to enhance our mutual understanding about local heritage and sustainability interrelationships, we invite scholars from interdisciplinary fields to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
-
International dialogue on local culture studies
-
The relationship between local heritage and world heritage
-
The local heritage and sustainable development: case studies
-
other related topics
Prof. Dr. Baoxiu Zhang
Prof. Dr. Shangyi Zhou
Prof. Dr. Jingqiu Zhang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.